Tobacco and Vaping
You know that smoking is bad for your health, so it should be no surprise that e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other tobacco products also can be harmful to your oral health.
Oral Health Impacts
- Stained teeth and tongue
- Dulled sense of taste and smell
- Gum disease
- Oral cancer
- Slow healing after a tooth extraction or other surgery
- Difficulties correcting cosmetic dental problems
According to the American Cancer Society, at least 70 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer, including nicotine, formaldehyde, lead, arsenic, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide, and others. Some of these substances also can cause heart disease, lung disease, or other serious health problems.
Vaping and E-cigarettes
The tobacco product landscape continues to evolve to include smoked, smokeless, and electronic products, such as e-cigarettes (also called vape pens). While smoking e-cigarettes may pose fewer health risks than smoking regular tobacco cigarettes—it is by no means harmless. E-cigarettes can have a significant impact on oral health. E-cigarette aerosols have similar properties to high-sucrose, gelatinous candies and acidic drinks, which increase the risk of dental cavities. Additionally, the nicotine in e-cigarettes reduces blood flow, restricting the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the soft tissues of the mouth. This can cause the gums to recede and exacerbate periodontal diseases. Reduced blood circulation also inhibits the mouth’s natural ability to fight against bacteria, which can accelerate infection, decay, and other problems.
Smokeless Tobacco Products
Smokeless tobacco goes by many names, such as chewing tobacco, spit, dip, chew, and snuff, but the two basic types of smokeless tobacco are:
- Chewing tobacco: Long strands of loose leaves, plugs, or twists of tobacco
- Snuff: Finely ground tobacco packaged in cans or pouches, in both dry and moist formats
- Gum disease that can lead to tooth loss
- Tissue and bone loss around the roots of the teeth
- Scratching and wearing down of teeth
- Stained and discolored teeth
- Bad breath
Staying away from all tobacco products is the only way to avoid increasing your risk of tobacco-related health problems.
Help with Quitting
Once you start smoking or using tobacco products, the addictive quality of nicotine—found in traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco—can make quitting especially difficult. Talk to your dentist or doctor for resources on quitting, including:
- 1-800-QUIT-NOW: A free, phone-based service from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that offers coaches, a quit plan, and referrals to local resources to help you quit tobacco use.
- SmokefreeTeen: A website that provides information and assistance to help teens quit smoking and stay tobacco-free, including SmokefreeTXT—a mobile service that provides encouragement, advice, and tips to help young adults quit smoking.
- American Cancer Society Guide to Quitting Smoking
- American Heart Association Quit Smoking Resources
- American Lung Association: How to Quit Smoking